Prince WilliamandPrince Harrydid not appear to cross paths atKing Charles' coronation.
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Prince William arrived at the historic event with wifeKate Middleton. The pairwore formal robesand mantels for the historic occasion at the request of King Charles and Queen Camilla. William wore the ceremonial dress uniform of the Welsh Guards.
And despite not appearing to speak to his older brother at the historic event,Prince Harrywaspictured smiling from ear to ear. He worea Dior morning suitfor the occasion. (PEOPLE understands Harry was requested to wear a morning suit and didn’t make any specific asks about his outfit.)
Harry also wore his Afghanistan service medal as well as Golden Jubilee, Diamond Jubilee, and Platinum Jubilee medals. He also included his KCVO neck decoration and star as part of his attire.
Prince Harryappeared to leave sometime after the congregation portion of the ceremony concluded. Unlike his family, Harry was not permitted toappear on the balcony with his relativesbecause only working royals are allowed to do so. He was also not a part of the procession.
The Duke of Sussex traveled from California tosupport his fatheron coronation day, whileMeghan Marklestayed back with their sonPrince Archieand daughterPrincess Lilibet. The coronation occurred on the same day as Prince Archie’s 4th birthday, and a source previously told PEOPLE that Meghan is marking the occasion with “alow-key partyat home.”
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The ongoing rift betweenPrince Harryand his family was evident in late March, when the Duke of Sussexwas in Londonfor a court hearing in his claim against Associated Newspapers but didn’t see his father or brother during the trip.
“Things are strained,” says a palace insider.
There wasno communicationbetweenPrince HarryandPrince Williamin the lead-up to their father’s coronation. An insider said Harry’s attendance at the historic event would do little to ease tensions.
“I don’t think the coronation and a big conversation can be conflated,” an insider previously told PEOPLE.
In his memoir,Spare, released in January, Prince Harry addressed some of the issues thatdrove him andPrince Williamapart. The Duke of Sussex claimed that a2019 confrontationover his relationship with Meghan turned physically violent, and he accused his brother of “parrot[ing of] the press narrative” about his wife.
Prince Harry.GARETH CATTERMOLE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
But when Harry and Meghanreceived an emailabout the coronation from King Charles' office, it became clear that the “sit-down"Prince Harrysought wouldn’t happen, a close friend told PEOPLE.
“They didn’t hear from Charles. Harry wanted to hear from his father directly — it’s always through somebody,” the friend said. However, the estranged father and son ultimately connected — although not in person — and had “positive conversations,” a source said.
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“Despite the wounds, it’s his son, and I can’t imagine he wouldn’t want him to be there regardless of the hurtful things that have been said,” royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith, author ofGeorge VI and Elizabeth: The Marriage That Saved the Monarchy, told PEOPLE.
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ForPrince Harry, his solo appearance at the coronation has everything to do with his desire to have, as he has stated, a “family,not an institution.”
“This is about a son showing up for his father rather than the optics of the institution,” a close friend says.
The coronation service marks Prince Harry’s first public appearance with other members of the royal family since the funeral ofQueen Elizabethin September, which Meghan attended. The couple was in Europe for a series of charitable events when the Queen died atBalmoral Castlein Scotland, hours after her doctors said they were “concerned” for her health.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex extended their trip abroad and remained in the U.K. for thefunerary eventsthat followed before returning home to California, where they settled after stepping back from their royal roles in 2020.
source: people.com
